News of Nigeria’s president, retired General Muhammadu Buhari’s announcement of Ms. Amina Zakari who made an infamous appearance on this blog on July 6, 2016 as Chief Returning Officer for the February election is raising anger, anxiety, and dismay across the country.In an essay –

https://emotanafricana.com/2016/07/06/and-yet-still-the-national-question-president-buhari-the-growing-charges-of-nepotismsectionalism-tola-adenle/subtitled [All in the Family, Quite a few from the “tribe”!], we meet a relatively young woman with no discernible experience get the high “federal” position of INEC Chairman, a position at par – or higher – with/than a Permanent Sectetary at the central government level. She later “stepped down” for the present INEC Chairman. The chair dance at the center has seen the INEC boss now elevate her above the other “ordinary” INEC Commissioners where she will “collate” the votes from across the country as Chairperson of INEC Advisory Committee (a body that has other some INEC Commissioners and non-INEC nominees,) AND Chair, Presidential election Collation Center Committe!

Since that essay of well over two years ago, Buhari has not looked back in repeatedly wiping his feet over the Nigeria’s Constitution by filling the ranks of top government appointments at the central tier with family, Northwestern and Northern Muslims. [Above link contains the names and states of origins of several top level appointees by Buhari and would show the disdain with which he holds the “Federal Character” requirement clause in the country’s Constitution.]

Buhari’s do-or-die quest this time around has already led to devastating results in Yorubaland as demonstrated in the “federal” power’s high-handedness in what most in Ọṣun’s recent governorship election was manipulation that saw the APC candidate “win” over the PDP candidate, the “dancing senator”; Ekiti’s case was not much different.

John Nnia Nwodo, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, warned of possible “derailment of democracy”, and has suggested Zakari steps down. Mr. Nwodo used a football (soccer) analogy to describe the awful and inappropriate situation of Buhari having his family member who was highly criticized when she was named to the INEC chair before Yakubu got the substantive position, as someone who may be the decider of who wins:

“It’s like Rangers VS Kano Pillars and Kano Pillars is allowed to nominate a referee. It’s impossible for justice to be done. In a civilized clime Amina Zakari should have resigned.”

It’s been apparent for quite a while that Buhari stands no chance of re-election in a free and fair election in the South and Middle Belt, and, especially in Yorubas’ Southwest despite having the indefatigable Asiwaju Tinubu in his corner; Tinubu has reportedly said the president would receive three million votes in Lagos! A good pollster would easily find the region’s people have turned their backs to Buhari and, to a little less extent, his APC.

With what’s at stake for the North, especially the Northwest, the desperation of the former army General and his constituency: family, the North, generally, the NW specifically, AND Northern Muslims is so high that even Miyetti Allah, the parent organization of murderous Fulani herdsmen, has thrown its hat in the ring and become quite vocal.

A victory for Buhari in February is the worst nightmare for the continued existence of Nigeria as a unified country.

is it a crime to be related to an executive officer? The lady is qualified to hold the position. Our people must spend their energy on productive issues. It is only in Nigeria you will find this type of useless criticism

It’s definitely no crime “to be related to an executive officer” but nepotism that breeches a constitutional provision in more ways than one borders on assault on Nigeria and her citizens.

In 2016 when I wrote the essay referred to here, I mentioned the fact that Ms. Zakari was nominated as INECcommissioner. Generally, state governors send nominees to the president; I know because a relation was once nominated.

What has made the PDP (not unexpected) and others like Ohaneze Ndigbo and this blogger, among other Nigerians cry out is that this is just not right. Buhari has set up a new committee within INEC Commissioners’ rank – INEC ADVISORY COMMITTEE – above which sits Zakari. In addition, she’s also been given another position – ‘the Returning Officer-by-another-name – Chairperson, Presidential Election Collation Center Committee.

THAT is what we are more than concerned about just as all Nigerians should be.